On Tuesday, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto called for the legalization of gay marriage nationwide, a move in accordance with a ruling from Mexico’s Supreme Court last year that found it was unconstitutional for states to ban same-sex marriage.
Speaking at an event on the International Day Against Homophobia, Pena Nieto said he signed initiatives that would seek to add same-sex marriage provisions to Mexico’s constitution and the national civil code.
Pena Nieto said he would seek to reform Article 4 of the constitution to clearly reflect the Supreme Court opinion “to recognize as a human right that people can enter into marriage without any kind of discrimination.”
“That is, for marriages to be carried out without discrimination on the basis of ethnicity or nationality, of disabilities, of social or health conditions, of religion, of gender or sexual preference,” he added.
The profile page of Pena Nieto’s Twitter account was turned rainbow-colored Tuesday as he made the announcement.
Por un @Mexico incluyente que reconoce en la diversidad, una de sus mayores fortalezas #SinHomofobia. pic.twitter.com/6ooZGuPEsD
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) May 17, 2016
Gay marriage is currently legal in Mexico’s capital, Coahuila, as well as the Quintana Roo state. The legislation proposed by the president would add same-sex marriage rights to the nation’s constitution and civil code.
Watch video of Peña Nieto proposing the legislation, below.
